The retired legend has eulogized the two La Blaugrana stars and has put Xavi Hernandez ahead of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296 in being the best player in the world.
The former Barcelona player was full of praise for both men and expressed that they were without a doubt among the best footballers of all time.
Cruyff stated that Xavi and Messi are without a doubt the athletes that any team dreams of and that he is continuously impressed by the performances put up by the Barca starlets.
Cruyff, who himself is among the most revered Barcelona players of all time, emphasized that even though both men’s involvement has been vital in helping the current Spanish Champions achieve the success that they have, he sees Xavi as a more decisive player.
The Dutchman also stressed that the influence of both the players, on the team, is inspiring.
Winning the Spanish La Liga title consecutively in the last three seasons and triumphing over the UEFA Champions League twice makes the Catalan giants the team to beat.
The contribution provided by Messi and Xavi has been immense and the players still continue to give their best to the team.
The two athletes were among the three players shortlisted to win the Ballon d’Or this year, and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Cristiano-Ronaldo-c9629 was the third player who got shortlisted to win the prestigious award.
Even though Messi was able to take the prize home, he acknowledged that he could not have won the award without Xavi.
Johan Cruyff, while talking to ESPN, said:
"The best player in the world does not exist because there are many different positions. There are spectacular players like Messi. But if you see a guy like Xavi, who controls the ball and manages the pace of the game, he is also a great player, but totally
different from Messi.”
“It is very hard to tell who is the best. [In my eyes,] the most spectacular is Messi, but the best is Xavi."
Cruyff recently became the manager of Mexican outfit, Chivas, and rumours suggest that the current Barcelona coach, Josep Guardiola, will be joining the Mexican giants in the near future.
Tags: